This invention relates to a fishing lure scent strip that appeals to the sensory system of fish and fish lures including the fishing lure scent strip..
Over the years, the field of fishing has advanced from the use of live bait to the use of artificial lures. Recently, a great deal of attention has been focussed on the development of scents and scent delivery systems to address the highly developed sensory system in fish.
A recent In-Fisherman subscriber survey conducted by Added Value Inc. revealed that 70% of respondents used scent enhanced baits or attractants in the 12 months prior to the survey. Moreover, scent enhanced baits were used by 79% of those who fish for bass most often. Among the brands used most often by respondents were Berkeley.TM., Fish Formula.TM., Dr. Juice.TM. and Ultimate Baitmate.TM..
To date, a number of different types of scented lures have been disclosed including lures formed from fish food which provides a scent to attract fish (U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,703 to Riley), lures formed of materials that have been intermixed with scents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,319 to Kasper et. al. (a lure with a fish oil intermixed with the plastic formulation from which the lure made) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,305 to Bridges (a slowly dissolving lure made of a polymer with an fish scent attractant impregnated therein) and lures having inner receptacles containing scented substances or fluids such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,579 to Hollinger (a lure comprising a pouch for receiving bait or scented substances), U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,906 to Bommarito (a fishing scent delivery system comprising a bladder which releases a fishing scent material in the vicinity of a fishing lure) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,781 to Paoletta, Jr. (a lure having a reservoir from which a scented fluid is dispensed). Other types of scent bearing lures include those in which scent impregnated materials not integral to the lure structure are included such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,609 to Walker (a lure comprising an absorbent fibrous material impregnated with fish attractant), U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,297 to Kennedy, Jr. (a fishing lure with a cellular, porous scent receiving material inserted into a cylinder within the lure) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,811 to Freeman (a fishing lure having a fish attractant dispenser such as a scented pipe cleaner inserted into an inner casing).
Unfortunately, lures made of materials with scents impregnated therein have limited lifetimes. Over time, the intensity of the scent diminishes. Similarly, lures comprising reservoirs or compartments containing scented fluids or other scented materials suffer from the same fate, unless the reservoirs or containers are replenished. Finally, it may be desirable to impart a scent to lures which have other desirable characteristics including color, shape and noise-making ability but are lacking in scent.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fishing lure scent strip. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a reusable fishing lure to which a scent has been applied via application of a scented waterproof tape which overcomes the abovementioned inadequacies in the prior art. For the purposes of the present application, the term `waterproof tape` shall denote a tape with an adhesive waterproof back.